more towing questions
 

okay so i have a camper on the back of my truck
full of camping stuff.
and then i want to haul a trailer with some quads on it

what is the maximum weight that i can haul and what is within limits of towing capabilities

i dont really care about gas milage at this point im just trying to take care of my truck without hurting it!

thanks guys

RE: more towing questions
 

a buddy of mine regularly pulls 8,000 lbs. with his z71, with a weight distribution hitch and electric brakes. I would keep it to under 2,000 lbs. in the in truck camper and under 6,000 lbs on the trailer- make sure you have electric brakes if pulling this much. On a z71 it is about a 10 minute install.

RE: more towing questions
 

Or at least have surge brakes on the toung of the trailer. You should be just fine with the quads.

RE: more towing questions
 

how bad is it going to be if its roughly 3000 lbs
i know its a bit over but... its below the overloads for sure....
keep in mind that its not fully loaded either

but the weight is fairly distrubuted throughout the truck!

so... what do you think?

RE: more towing questions
 

Make sure you have a transmission cooler is what i think... otherwise it will burn up either way.

RE: more towing questions
 

If you take it easy on the hills your tranny should be fine. Other than that, as long as your toung weight and the weight that you have in the bed doesn't exceed the max payload on the truck you will be able to tow the trailer with the stuff in the truck. Just add the weight of the toung to what you have in the truck and as long as that is under the trucks pay load you are good. Take it easy on the hills, look and see if your z-71 has a tranny cooler. If it does not, then you can take extra measures to take it easy on the hills. Make sure that you don't go more than half throttle on the hills. Watch the temp of the engine, if it is over heating than the tranny is doing the same. If you have a tranny cooler then don't worry about it. Lastly anytime when towing make sure that the tranny isn't shifting in and out of OD frequently. If it is then down shift into third and take it easy on the speed. Other than that, you should be good to go. Have fun with the quads!

RE: more towing questions
 

really? maybe thats why my tranny burnt up there about a month ago!! very interesting!
how much does a tranny cooler cost? and could i install it myself?

thanks guys
i will definately take it easy on the hills and always make sure that im in tow/haul mode! except on flat highways! lol!

RE: more towing questions
 

You can get tranny coolers from many different companys. You should be able to install it with simple hand tools and a decent set of instructions. Good luck and have fun. Other than that, you should look and see if you have one already. Don't be afraid to run a little higher RPM's and a lower gear. It will not hurt anything, in fact it will help to keep your truck cooler. Any other questions?

RE: more towing questions
 

I put a tranny cooler on my 98, the biggest one I could find was only $65 then with the extra fittings and fluid I had about $75 and it took me about an hour to install. Just basic hand tools are needed to install it. Good investment even if you don't plan on towing often.

RE: more towing questions
 

yeah... im definately going to get the tranny cooler! ive been looking into it all day.
they fittings tho! how do you go about it.. would all that information be included with the cooler. i could just go to a auto shop and pick up the hosing and everything eh?

let me know what you think. im probably going to go with a TRU-COOL system!

let me know what you guys thinK! i really appreciate all the help guys. i want to make sure my tranny runs great forever!!!!